The invention relates to labelling machines of the kind used for example in supermarkets and other stores to apply to each article on display for sale an adhesive label indicating the price of the article.
Such machines comprise a receptacle for a supply of labels to be printed, a printing head, control means for selecting data to be printed by the printing head, and mechanism actuable to effect printing of a label at the printing head with the selected data and advance of the printed label to a dispensing position from which it can be dispensed for application to the article. At the same time another label is advanced from the supply to the printed head for the next operation.
In such known machines, the labels have been fed from a roll of the unprinted labels mechanically, in response to manual actuation of a lever associated with a handle of the machine, and the printing operation is effected mechanically by means of inked printing elements.
Machines of this kind have a disadvantage that the printing head requires to be filled with ink from time to time, which requires an interruption of work and involves handling, and possible spillage, of the ink; it is moreover tiring for the operator to repeatedly manually actuate both the label feeding and printing mechanism.
The invention accordingly has an object the provision of a labelling machine which is easier to employ than known machines at least in that it does not involve the use of ink.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a labelling machine which can be employed with a minimum of physical effort.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a labelling machine having extensive facilities for printing data on labels received within the machine.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide a labelling machine having means for recording information about the use thereof and for displaying and/or transmitting the information to data treatment and/or storage means.
It is moreover an object of the invention to provide a labelling machine having means for electrically or optically detecting features of a strip of labels received therein and for effecting registration of individual labels with elements of the machine in accordance with such detected features.
It is furthermore an object of the invention to provide a continuous strip of labelling material for use in a machine of the invention, and in particular such a continuous strip having spaced magnetically or optically detectable markings for detection in the machine to assist registration of labels with parts thereof.